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Shang Zhitao arrived at the company entrance and spotted Luan Nian walking out of the coffee shop. Without a second thought, she took off running.
She couldn’t let her boss have any chance to take advantage of her. Sure, she might entertain some thoughts about him—just idle fantasies—but if he wanted to sleep with her, that was crossing into dangerous territory.
Even though she might gain favor or opportunities through it, she’d lose her dignity. But then again, gaining favor didn’t sound so bad either?
Shang Zhitao’s not-so-efficient brain was flooded with conflicting thoughts. As she ran, she burst out laughing at her own absurdity.
She sprinted, swiped her card, dashed into the elevator, and quickly pressed the “close door” button. Once at her desk, she dropped her bag beside her and immediately dove into work.
She was just a small fry in the company, and Luan Nian didn’t assign her tasks very often. The new head of the planning department would soon be in place, and once the new boss arrived, neither Lumi nor Shang Zhitao would have to deal directly with Luan Nian anymore. She eagerly anticipated that day.
It was as if Luan Nian were some kind of monstrous force.
Luan Nian stepped out of the café and saw Shang Zhitao sprinting away, unsure what nonsense had gotten into her head this time. When he entered the office and found no one around except for Shang Zhitao already seated at her desk, he felt a flicker of admiration for her diligence.
Some people are diligent only in short bursts, slacking off once they feel secure in their position. Others are diligent throughout their lives, always seeing things through to the end. Shang Zhitao clearly belonged to the latter group.
During yesterday’s work report, Alex had introduced the marketing department’s progress and specifically mentioned Shang Zhitao when discussing staffing. He said they were preparing to discuss ending her rotation period. In other words, Shang Zhitao had successfully passed her probationary period.
As Alex spoke, Tracy kept glancing at Luan Nian. She expected him to oppose the decision as he usually did, but he didn’t even look up, acting as if the discussion had nothing to do with him.
Tracy was a bit puzzled. “Luke, aren’t you going to say anything?”
“You’re the one calling all the shots here—I wouldn’t dare interfere,” Luan Nian replied sarcastically. Tracy was the HR director appointed directly by headquarters, and no matter who became the head of Lingmei China, everyone had to tread carefully around her. Luan Nian wasn’t afraid of her, but he never missed an opportunity to mock her.
“I thought your silence meant you recognized Shang Zhitao’s abilities—and my judgment.”
“My silence simply means I don’t care because Shang Zhitao is your person.”
“She’s not my person,” Tracy corrected.
Luan Nian shrugged, signaling the conversation was meaningless to him. He didn’t care about who got promoted or confirmed; his immediate priority was handling the new performance model for the sales team. The Lingmei sales team consisted of top industry professionals, but they were arrogant from top to bottom. While they could complete their tasks, they also hoarded clients, preventing significant business breakthroughs. Luan Nian had discussed reforms with Tracy, but she gave him one condition: “Keep the team turnover rate below 30%. Otherwise, I’ll definitely give you a poor review in the 360-degree evaluation.”
Luan Nian knew Tracy was serious. She needed stability in the team, and if there were large-scale personnel changes, she’d bear the responsibility.
“Then I’ll proceed with Shang Zhitao’s confirmation process,” Tracy added.
“Why didn’t you ask me about others’ confirmations?”
“...” Tracy sighed. “Can we just have a rational conversation about Shang Zhitao for once? You’re always so stern, and during employee meetings, everyone says they’re afraid of you.”
Luan Nian didn’t care about these formalities. Whether Shang Zhitao was confirmed or not made no difference to him, and whether others feared him or not didn’t affect his mood. Thus, he stopped discussing it with Tracy.
Shang Zhitao, unaware of all this, was about to be sent on an assignment—to a remote mountain area to assist with the filming of an advertisement, essentially doing odd jobs. The marketing department always sent someone to these kinds of places, but when people heard about it, they balked. It was already snowing there, the mountains were cold and damp, and the rats were reportedly 30 centimeters long. Even the men were reluctant to go, let alone the women. Some people glanced at Shang Zhitao, thinking she hadn’t been confirmed yet and should face this test. They secretly hoped she’d step up. Shang Zhitao caught their gazes and indeed volunteered: “How about… I go? I haven’t done anything like this before, though, so I’m not sure what to do.”
“You? What do you know? This job is best suited for a male colleague,” Lumi said while filing her nails and kicking Shang Zhitao under the table. Was this girl insane? Couldn’t she see others were bullying her?
“You don’t know anything. This is our biggest client’s project. If you mess it up, we’ll all be in trouble,” Lumi added, trying to dissuade her.
But Alex didn’t agree. Shang Zhitao was a newcomer, and it was standard for her to participate in every type of project. So he asked her, “Are you sure you want to go?”
“If she goes, double the travel budget,” Lumi sighed. “I’ll go too.” Lumi still considered herself Shang Zhitao’s mentor and felt a sense of chivalry toward her. What she called chivalry was essentially looking out for her own people.
Shang Zhitao gave Lumi a grateful look. “Thank you, Lumi.”
“No need to thank me.”
Shang Zhitao didn’t fully grasp the risks of this trip. She simply viewed it as part of her job and believed she needed to try everything to understand the essence of work. She respected her work, and her work rewarded her in return.
After the weekly meeting ended, Alex asked her to stay behind.
“Flora, guess what I’m about to tell you?” Alex was never serious, even winking childishly at Shang Zhitao, inviting her to guess.
“Uh…” Shang Zhitao actually thought hard for a moment. Since she hadn’t made any mistakes recently, she shook her head. “Alex, I don’t know.”
“Then take a look at this.” Alex pulled out a few sheets of paper from his drawer and placed them in front of her.
Shang Zhitao picked them up and saw the bold words “Employment Contract” written in both Chinese and English. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Alex. “I…”
“The first stop of your rotation was the marketing department. I’ve spoken with Lumi, and we both want you to stay in the marketing department. Are you willing?”
“Yes!” Shang Zhitao nodded vigorously, unable to hide her excitement. She was so happy she felt warmth welling up in her eyes.
“Then take this formal contract back, sign it, and submit it to HR.” Alex gave Shang Zhitao a thumbs-up. “Keep it up, Flora. You know, Beijing is a cruel but fair city. As long as you work hard, you’ll get results. Everyone has seen your diligence and sense of responsibility over the past two months. You’ve earned this contract.”
Shang Zhitao felt like she was dreaming.
She remembered how terrified and anxious she’d been on her first day when Luan Nian had advised her to change jobs. But today, she was officially staying. Alex said she had earned this through her own efforts.
It was overwhelming. She even felt like crying a little.
By the time she left work, Shang Zhitao still felt like it wasn’t real. She was filled with mixed emotions and felt the urge to talk to someone about it.
She messaged Yao Bei: “Senior, are you in Beijing?”
“I’m at the aerospace base. What’s up, Tao Tao?”
“I got hired!”
“Really!!!” Yao Bei sent three exclamation marks and immediately called her. “My junior is so accomplished, right? Tell you what, think about what you want to eat! When I get back, we absolutely must celebrate!”
Shang Zhitao covered her mouth to stifle her laughter. “I want Japanese food. There’s a place near the company I’ve been meaning to try.”
“Then wait till I get back!”
The ordinary Shang Zhitao experienced a different kind of joy.
She shared her happiness with others, but her own excitement hadn’t faded. She wanted to reward herself. After all, she deserved it today. Why not treat herself to Japanese food? Invite Sun Yu and the others? But it was too late; the restaurant would close by the time they arrived. Go alone! Yes! Over the weekend, she’d treat her roommates!
Shang Zhitao was feeling quite pleased. She stood up from her desk, still smiling, stretched her body, and sat back down. Then she quickly packed her things, unable to wait even a minute. With her bag on her back, she headed out and bumped into Luan Nian, who was also leaving. With no time to dodge, she smiled awkwardly at him. “Luke, heading home?”
“Mm.” He said nothing more.
Shang Zhitao didn’t speak either. She entered the elevator and stood in the corner, but she heard Luan Nian ask, “Aren’t you treating yourself to something nice today?”
“Huh?”
“Aren’t you officially hired now?”
“Oh… yes.” Shang Zhitao couldn’t lie. Her expression clearly said: I’m going to eat something good right now. Seeing Luan Nian watching her in the elevator mirror, she reluctantly added, “Do you want to come along?…”
“Sure.”
“?”
“You don’t have to worry. If you have plans tonight, it’s fine.” Shang Zhitao added, hoping there was still a way out.
“No worries. I don’t have any plans.”
“…”
“Oh.”
Luan Nian chuckled inwardly. That was just his personality—he teased her casually, and the more reluctant she seemed, the more determined he was to join. Her discomfort amused him. To put it simply, Luan Nian was the kind of person who found pleasure in others’ discomfort. As Tan Mian would say, “Deep down, he’s not a good person.”
“What are we eating?” Luan Nian asked.
Shang Zhitao racked her brain, trying to suggest something that would discourage him—spicy hot pot? Rice noodles? Cold noodles?
“There’s a good Japanese restaurant near the company. Let me treat you.” Luan Nian deadpanned, “We’ll order the 398-yuan set, otherwise there won’t be foie gras.”
“Oh. But it’s near the company. If colleagues see us, won’t it be hard to explain? Won’t it damage your reputation?”
“You’re overthinking it.” Luan Nian smiled at her. “Lead the way.”
And so, Shang Zhitao and Luan Nian had their second meal together at that Japanese restaurant.
By the time they arrived, it was already after nine. The restaurant was nearly empty, and they found a quiet private room with a view of the courtyard. The night scenery was serene, with a small bridge and flowing water. Luan Nian ordered the 398-yuan set without hesitation, and Shang Zhitao followed suit. Since she was celebrating herself, she decided to splurge, even if it cost her a tenth of her salary—it felt worth it.
Luan Nian ordered sake, poured himself a small cup, and then asked Shang Zhitao, “Have you finished learning to drive?”
“I’m taking the driving test next weekend, but I might have to delay it because I’m being sent to assist with the Zhizheng shoot.”
“To the mountains?”
“Yeah… it’ll take about half a month.”
Shang Zhitao poured herself a small cup of sake, sipped it, and found it mild enough. She grinned, unable to contain her inner joy.
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